Official Welcome

     A new country, a new job, a new life. I've started this blog to keep friends and family in the loop as to what it means to be an ex-pat in a Latin American country. I live in Mexico City (also called D.F., or Districto Federal) in a metropolitan area of over 21 million people. Ready for another not-so-little piece of trivia? Mexico City is the largest city in the western hemisphere- definitely a shock to someone like me who grew up in the shadow of New York City. Turns out the "Big Apple" is not the biggest apple in the bunch!

     So, what exactly will my posts be about? I'm going to be writing about a number of different topics, but expect the bulk of what I have to say to be about lifestyle, teaching, and travel. Part of living in another country means assimilating- incorporating local customs and rules into your own life with due diligence. I eat my meals based on a Spanish schedule: a small snack when I wake up at 5:30 each day, warm breakfast around 10:30, a sandwich and chips for lunch between 2:30 and 4:30, and finally, communal dinner with my roommates at 8:30. Do you know what happens when I finish up with each meal? I have to separate any remaining food from paper waste; in Mexico, inorganic and organic trash cannot go together. That's what I mean by lifestyle.

   At the end of the day, I'm a teacher here in D.F. To be more specific, I teach second graders at an all-boys bi-cultural school called Northridge School Mexico (to distinguish from our sister school located in Chicago). I count myself very fortunate to work with children who come from stable, loving families removed from the challenges of homelessness and poverty that define the lives of many in Mexico. They've been practicing English at home from a very young age, and have the opportunity to speak both their native tongue and second language in the core subjects and specials that Northridge offers. Nevertheless, teaching ESL has its challenges and rewards wherever one might be, so you can expect me to deliver on both from time to time. That's what I mean by teaching.

    Now, I come to the fun part of living in another country. When you're picked up and plopped in the little microcosm of commuting from home to school, everything outside of this routine is fun and novel. For me, travel experiences mean any kind of visits to other places, whether within Mexico City or in surrounding states. This means that there's going to be some show-and-tell when I visit a local landmark in the city, or when I take a trip to the beaches or mountains of surrounding states. Believe me, I can't wait to take pictures and videos everywhere I go and offer some running commentary. That's what I mean by travel.

Many of you know that I went to a liberal arts college and have a degree in the humanities. Please, don't worry! I promise to keep my writing informal, with plenty of anecdotes to keep my readers engaged and entertained; hey, I might even crack a joke or two. Understand that my purpose here is to encourage others to enjoy learning about other cultures, and communicate the everyday excitement of living in another country. But...if you want to take a look at my academic writing, I'd be happy to send you a sample.

All that being said, I want to thank you for your interest and officially welcome you to my blog! This is my project outside of work to keep me grounded for the next two years, so expect to learn and grow with me in understanding Mexican culture.

Until next time,

Trevor